DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Floats New Tactic for Cracking Down on Sanctuary Cities
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says he may consider removing customs processing from major international airports located in sanctuary cities, such as Los Angeles and New York City, if those cities’ sanctuary policies hinder immigration enforcement. He argues that sanctuary jurisdictions cannot “serve two masters” and questions whether airports in such cities should continue handling international arrivals if local authorities won’t enforce immigration law once passengers leave teh airport.
Mullin emphasizes he won’t bend the laws passed by Congress, but he wants to partner wiht local governments and will “take a hard look” at options, rather than rushing a decision. He has indicated support for hardening enforcement through budget moves,including using reconciliation to fund Customs and Border Protection and ICE for three years,aiming to avoid partisan obstruction and a potential shutdown as the fiscal year ends.
The discussion includes the claim that CBP operates at about 300 ports of entry, including international airports, and has drawn political support from Rep. Warren Davidson, who has tweeted that sanctuary cities obstruct federal authority and that removing DHS support from them makes sense. mullin has also suggested that sanctuary cities are not lawful and that the management will prioritize enforcement in partnership with federal agencies, possibly redefining how immigration policy is applied at airports in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says that he needs to review whether to yank customs operations from major international airports where screening international travelers has become infected with sanctuary city policies.
Cities such as Los Angeles and New York City, both with major international airports, have sanctuary policies to protect illegal immigrants.
“If they’re a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city?” Mullin said in an interview with Fox News.
Mullin said local officials in sanctuary jurisdictions cannot serve two masters.
“If they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy — maybe we need to have a really hard look at that,” he said.
“I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions,” Mullin added, noting that he wants local governments to be good partners, but cannot bend the rules to accommodate leftist policies.
“I am not going outside the policies that Congress passed for me, and we’re not trying to push those, but we’re saying you’ve got to partner with us,” he said.
“I believe sanctuary cities, it’s not lawful,” Mullin continued. “I don’t think they’re able to do that. And so, we’re going to take a hard look at this.”
Mullin said he will not make a snap decision, but will seriously consider difficult courses of action, according to The Hill.
“Well, I’m saying we’re going to have to start prioritizing things at some point. Right now, remember, the Democrats are wanting to defund Customs and Border Patrol. Well, who processes those individuals when they walk off the plane? And so I’m going to have to be forced to make hard decisions. Who is willing to work with us and partner with us?” Mullin said.
Mullin’s comment drew the support of Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican from Ohio.
Sanctuary cities are in open rebellion to federal authority to determine the lawful presence of foreign nationals. They obstruct our legal obligation to remove those unlawfully in the United States.
Removing every bit of DHS support from sanctuary cities makes sense. https://t.co/59rlFtXyDF
— Warren Davidson 🇺🇸 (@WarrenDavidson) April 6, 2026
“Sanctuary cities are in open rebellion to federal authority to determine the lawful presence of foreign nationals. They obstruct our legal obligation to remove those unlawfully in the United States. Removing every bit of DHS support from sanctuary cities makes sense,” he posted on X.
Mullin said he agrees with a plan that would lock in DHS funding for three years, Fox News reported.
“There is a problem with what the Senate has proposed. And it’s a fundamental issue that is very difficult for some Republicans to get past. It’s that the bill that has been proposed out of the Senate that was passed with unanimous consent, it essentially, and I say essentially, defunded ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. But the reason why we made that play call is because we want to do it through reconciliation,” Mullin told anchor Bret Baier.
“The reason why the president and I have spoke literally for over five hours in the Oval Office about the best path to do this with is because September 30th is when the fiscal year ends again. We are afraid that the Democrats will try to hold the country hostage again and shut us down,” he said.
“And so if we can take Customs and Border Patrol off the table and put it through reconciliation, fund it for three years, then we don’t have to worry about the Democrats playing this political theater,” he added.
Reconciliation is a Senate mechanism that allows changes to the federal budget through only a majority vote, instead of the 60-vote margin needed to adopt the budget in the first place.
Customs and Border Protection has agents at 300 ports of entry across the country, which includes international airports, according to the New York Post.
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